Free Web NovelChapter 18: Chapter 18: Combat Gap
Five hundred, and it didn’t even take thirty seconds!
Shorter than he could have ever imagined!
Chen Yu stood in the Spirit Realm White Palace. It was a long moment before he came back to his senses.
He had just unleashed the full power of his Freezing Skill, and its might seemed even greater than he’d anticipated.
It could instantly freeze a Level 2 Martial Artist.
Although they could still move, if he followed up with an attack the moment they were frozen, he could achieve a one-hit kill!
Even without the Freezing Skill, he was confident he could win based on his strength alone.
Strength, vision, reflexes...
The physical Evolution had drastically improved all his bodily functions.
This trial run gave him a rough idea of his capabilities.
Of course, there was still a gap between a simulated battle and a real one, but it wouldn’t be that large.
’I wonder if I can take on a Third-level Martial Artist...’
Chen Yu looked at the three options before him. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to try the Third-level Martial Artist simulation.
After spending two thousand, Chen Yu’s figure reappeared on the fighting stage.
The opponent simulated this time was a slender young man.
"Begin!"
Chen Yu gave the order, and the Spirit Realm Assistant nodded.
On the stage, the motionless young man suddenly erupted with a formidable aura.
As the aura washed over him, Chen Yu instantly felt a crushing pressure.
The powerful Qi fluctuations were in no way inferior to those of Vice-Captain Duan Feng.
SWOOSH—!
The young man’s figure blurred as he shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
He even broke the sound barrier! freewebnovel.cσ๓
Chen Yu’s pupils constricted. Even with his Extraordinary vision, he perceived the speed as extreme.
In the span of a single breath, the man was before him.
The wind from the punch howled, bringing with it a suffocating pressure.
BANG!
Chen Yu swiftly raised his hand, and their fist and palm collided.
A terrifying force assaulted him, sending him flying.
"Pfft..."
His body felt like it had been struck by a heavy truck. He slammed violently against the edge of the stage and spat out a mouthful of blood.
It felt like his internal organs had been rattled to pieces.
Even though this was just a mental simulation, the sensation of injury was incredibly real.
SWOOSH—!
The young man moved, striking again.
In an instant, he was upon him.
FWOOSH—
He exhaled a breath of bone-chilling white air. A cold current swept out, rapidly coating the young man’s body in a layer of frost.
Chen Yu seized the opportunity to get to his feet.
KRAK~
With a shattering sound, the frost on the young man’s body instantly broke apart.
A powerful wave of Qi emanated from him. His face grim, he attacked Chen Yu again.
WHOOSH—!
This time, Chen Yu didn’t choose to meet him head-on and quickly dodged aside.
However, a Third-level Martial Artist’s reflexes were incredibly fast. The young man immediately followed up with a sweeping roundhouse kick.
FWOOSH—
Chen Yu activated his Freezing Skill again, putting all his power into freezing the opponent.
BANG—!
Taking advantage of the brief moment his opponent was frozen, he lashed out with a powerful kick.
The frost on the young man’s leg dissipated. He flipped once in mid-air and landed securely on his feet.
"Martial Art—Earthen Vine Entanglement!"
A cold voice rang out, and a green light glowed around the young man’s body.
Several green vines materialized.
Like swimming dragons, they shot swiftly toward Chen Yu.
’A Martial Art...’
Chen Yu’s eyes narrowed. With a flash of light, a combat knife appeared in his hand.
SHING—!
He executed his Gale Knife Skill, unleashing a flurry of blade flashes!
Two vines were instantly severed, but the rest were already upon him.
FWOOSH...
His Freezing Skill erupted. A blast of cold air swept out, freezing the vines on the spot.
But they didn’t even hold for three seconds before the frozen vines shattered.
Chen Yu retreated explosively, his combat knife a blur as he unleashed all nine forms of his knife technique.
He expended his Qi as if it were free.
——
Half an hour passed.
Chen Yu’s Qi was completely depleted.
THUMP—!
A massive fist smashed through his head, and his consciousness faded to black.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the Spirit Realm White Palace.
’I failed...’
Chen Yu sighed.
Still, lasting for half an hour was quite impressive.
His Qi Cultivation was at about 1.9, only 0.1 away from Level 2.
That 0.1 gap was enormous.
A Level 2 Martial Artist had their acupoints opened, allowing them to release their Qi externally!
Under normal circumstances, they could utterly crush a Level 1 Martial Artist.
Even with a Qi level of 1.9, one was still considered Level 1.
’My Freezing Skill can only briefly immobilize a Third-level Martial Artist. Perhaps after I upgrade the Skill, I’ll be able to freeze one solid in a single blast.’
The thought flashed through Chen Yu’s mind.
From his two fights, he knew his Freezing Skill could completely immobilize a Level 2 Martial Artist.
But it was a different story for a Third-level Martial Artist.
A Third-level Martial Artist’s Qi was too strong, and their physical capabilities were far superior.
In a real fight, he probably couldn’t last half an hour.
A few minutes would be fine.
Any longer than that, and he’d be done for.
The power gap was a chasm.
Chen Yu was quite calm about it. After all, against a Third-level Martial Artist, an ordinary Level 1 Martial Artist wouldn’t even last a single breath.
’If I can go through one more physical Evolution, then even a Third-level Martial Artist won’t be a problem!’
Looking at the options before him, Chen Yu promptly exited the Spirit Realm.
The two battles had given him a clear understanding of his own strength.
After his second physical Evolution, he could easily defeat anyone below the third level by using his Skills.
’1.9... Once I break through the acupoints, I’ll be able to release my Qi externally.’
Sensing the Qi within, Chen Yu could feel the acupoints in his body vibrating.
To become a Level 2 Martial Artist, one had to open their acupoints; only then could they release their Qi externally.
He could already sense the acupoints in his body vibrating—a sign that he was on the verge of breaking through to become a Level 2 Martial Artist.
However, breaking through wasn’t that easy.
For some, it might take a few days; for others, it could take months.
It all came down to talent.
While physical Evolution could increase his strength and sublimate his body, he still had to rely on his own cultivation to break through to the next realm.
He couldn’t neglect his cultivation, either. After all, his Skills consumed mana.
Using the Freezing Skill at full power consumed a significant amount of Qi.
Without enough Qi, he couldn’t use his Skills.
Skills were an important support.
At its current level, he could afford to use his Freezing Skill at full power multiple times. But if the Skill were to be upgraded, it would require even more Qi.
A single use might drain him completely!
His main focus was still on physical Evolution, but he couldn’t neglect his "side hustle."
Chen Yu didn’t care how far he could go with it; as long as his Qi increased, that was enough.
With enough Qi and powerful enough Skills, even a Ninth-level Martial Artist wouldn’t be impossible to defeat.
Chen Yu went to the bathroom and took a cold shower. Then he casually picked a bedroom, tidied up a bit, and lay down on the bed.
He began to practice the Starry Sky Breathing Skill.
In his mind’s eye, the Starry Cosmos appeared, and countless points of starlight washed over him.
The night passed quickly.
Early the next morning, Chen Yu awoke.
As he got out of bed, Chen Yu could feel the vibrations of the acupoints within his body growing stronger.
It seemed he was reaching the critical point for a breakthrough.
’If I cultivate again tonight, I might be able to break through.’
Chen Yu thought to himself.
Level 2 Martial Artist. It was a major hurdle.
In Mercenary Team Twelve, everyone besides him was a Level 2 Martial Artist.
Of course, that didn’t mean all Mercenary Teams were the same; Team Twelve was one of the more powerful Mercenary Teams in Qing City.
Their combat prowess was formidable.
He was the only exception.
But now that he had completed his second Evolution, in terms of strength, he was basically unrivaled except for the captain and vice-captain.
This kind of growth was a quantum leap.
This also solidified his decision to stay in the Mercenary Team. With the identity it provided, he could kill mutated beasts openly and legitimately.
Level 1 Martial Artists were extremely common, the rank and file of society.
But once you became a Level 2 Martial Artist, your status changed completely. freewёbnoνel.com
The stronger you were, the higher your status!
If he wanted to make his mark, he needed to have the strength to back it up.
